Lead Practitioner Toolkit

Why are Lead Practitioners Needed?

Extensive research and guidance emphasises the importance of good coordination when delivering early help to families. A Lead Practitioner is most effective when this is supported by:

Strong multi-agency working
Clear and consistent referral pathways to services
Consistent decision-making processes based on a thorough assessment of risks and strengths within the family network
Prompt, persistent, and flexible approach, based on listening to families and building on their strengths
Regular review of progress and risk factors
Being outcome focussed – using the Early Help Outcomes Framework
Robust risk management
Clear planning for case closure and for sustainability of good outcomes.

Families repeatedly tell us that don’t want to have to repeat their story or have lots of professionals coming in and out of their lives. They want some practical support, such as help completing benefit forms, applying for housing, de-cluttering their homes; and they want to know what the bottom line is. Timely and honest conversations that explain consequences, providing both support and challenge to families is required.

Lead Professional Responsibilities

⬇️ Gain and record the family’s consent.

⬇️ Build and maintain a trusting relationship with the family to secure their engagement and active involvement in the support process.

⬇️ Think whole family, whilst ensuring the child(ren) and young people remain central to decisions made about them or their care.

⬇️ Complete the Community Based Early Help Assessment Tool with the child and family and include contributions from other agencies where this is needed. Following completion of the assessment with the family. the Lead Practitioner should always log it centrally by emailing it to their family hub.

⬇️ Identify needs that the family would like to address, ensuring-that the voice of the child/family is always evident and that fathers are always a part of the process where appropriate. It is also important to look at wider friends and family support networks.

⬇️ Arranging and chairing the Team Around the Family process (TAF).

⬇️ Ensure that the right support is in place through the action plan, and that the plan is relevant to what the family have asked for support with.

⬇️ Support the family until closure, or until it is appropriate to hand over the Lead Practitioner role to another practitioner. This should be kept to a minimum to avoid confusion for families, and must always be discussed with the family first.

⬇️ Ensuring that children and young people are safeguarded, following safeguarding protocols and the Thrive Guidance to escalate concerns when the Team around the Family is no longer able to keep children safe or where specialist services are required.

⬇️ Sharing the Early Help Assessment and Family Plan and Closure information centrally via your Early Help Coordinator (EHC).

How does a Lead Practitioner decide when to complete an assessment?

Check whether an assessment has already been completed and if another Lead Practitioner is in place.
If no plan is in place, the Lead Practitioner and their Early Help Coordinator should use the Continuum of Need to identify the level of support the family requires.
When 'Getting Help’ is identified via a discussion with the Integrated Front Door (IFD) for the family, a recommendation will be made to the most appropriate service, alongside the offer of support from an EHC, to help complete the assessment. This recommendation may be made to schools; a VCS organisation; The Youth Offending Team; Midwifery Services; Housing.
When a recommendation is made for an assessment to be completed, there is an agreed expectation that the agency engages with the family swiftly and completes this within 45 days.
If there is any disagreement with the recommendation, the agency receiving it should contact the Early Help Coordinator and discuss this. They should not simply end their service's involvement with the family, as this increases risk and may leave need unmet.

There are emerging concerns about the whole family’s circumstances, not just the tenancy—for example where multiple needs (financial, parenting, well-being) are impacting stability.
Early identification of need could prevent escalation, such as when issues are starting to affect the tenancy but could be addressed with timely support.
There are issues such as anti-social behaviour (ASB) where underlying family needs may be contributing and a coordinated, multi-agency response would help.
There are concerns about rent arrears, housing debt, or other financial pressures that could put the tenancy at risk without additional support.
The condition of the property is causing concern, particularly where it may indicate wider support needs (e.g. hoarding, neglect, health issues). It is evident that the household will struggle to sustain their tenancy without support, even if problems are not yet at crisis point.
The family themselves request help, especially where they have a positive and trusted relationship with their Housing Officer and are open to support.

Why this is the role of Housing Officer?

Housing play a vital role in spotting concerns early and taking a whole-family approach, using the EHA to bring the right support together before problems escalate.
Serious Care and Rapid reviews (nationally) have identified that some issues within families that were noted by housing staff were left to escalate when earlier identification of need could have supported the family to deal with and get help with their problems sooner.
Housing debt and other problems with tenancies is a strong indicator that support is needed within a family and that children are impacted upon negatively. Housing officers are often in a good position to engage with the family and have built up positive relationships with them. By intervening earlier and offering support this means that the family can better cope with their tenancy and avoid risk of eviction or escalating debt.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 highlights the importance of ‘partners working together and taking collective responsibility to provide the right provision.'

There are emerging concerns about the whole family’s circumstances, where a child’s needs cannot be met by education support alone and a wider, multi-agency response may be required.
Early identification of need could prevent escalation, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, which highlights that all staff should be prepared to identify children who may benefit from early help at any stage in their life.
Issues identified with a pupil such as:
- Poor attendance or persistent absence (truancy)
- Behavioural concerns in class or around the setting
- Difficulties with peers or friendships
- Noticeable changes in behaviour, presentation, or emotional wellbeing
There are identified or emerging Special Educational Needs (SEN) where additional coordinated support from multiple services may be beneficial.
The child’s circumstances suggest wider vulnerabilities, such as changes at home, family stress, or safeguarding concerns that do not meet statutory thresholds but require support.
It is clear that the child and family would benefit from coordinated multi-agency involvement, rather than single-agency support from the school or setting alone.
The family requests support, particularly where they have a positive and trusted relationship with the school, nursery, or setting, and may feel more comfortable seeking help through familiar staff.

Why this is the role of practitioners within a school/Early Years Setting?

Schools and early years settings play a crucial role in early identification and intervention, using the EHA to take a whole-family approach and bring together the right support at the earliest opportunity—before needs escalate.
Sharing responsibility for concerns identified in children is an important element of establishing a healthy early help system across the district. Schools are well placed to identify need early and completion of an assessment can assist in addressing emerging need swiftly. This has a positive impact on attendance and attainment for children.
Completing an EHA and offering support is also an important way of sharing concerns centrally, so that other agencies know when school has concerns about a child and family. This then enables important connections to be made when new concerns are submitted to the Integrated Front Door (IFD).
Completing an EHA can assist in gathering evidence for escalation such as issuing a fixed penalty notice for attendance issues.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 specific states that schools and Early Years providers ‘uniquely placed to identify concerns and address them early’ as they are often seeing children and their families on a daily basis and have developed strong trusted relationships with them.

There are emerging concerns about the whole family’s circumstances, particularly where a woman is pregnant and experiencing difficulties that may impact on her own well-being, the unborn baby, or other children in the household.
Early identification of need could prevent escalation, recognising that pregnancy is a key window for intervention. Offering support early can reduce the likelihood of issues worsening and requiring statutory intervention later in the pregnancy or after birth.
There are vulnerabilities identified during antenatal care, such as mental health concerns (anxiety, low mood), substance misuse, domestic abuse, housing or financial instability, lack of support networks.
There are concerns about parenting capacity or preparation for the baby, including where additional support may be needed to promote safe and healthy outcomes.
There are risks that may impact on healthy births and outcomes, in line with midwifery and public health priorities to support:
- positive maternal health and well-being
- Safe, healthy pregnancies
- Early attachment and bonding
- Readiness for the baby’s arrival

The needs identified go beyond a single-agency response, and a coordinated multi-agency approach would benefit the family. The EHA can help bring together the right services at the right time.
The family would benefit from support throughout pregnancy to enable positive change, allowing sufficient time for interventions to take effect before birth.
The woman or father or family actively seek support, especially where there is a trusted relationship with the midwife, or family worker, making midwifery a key access point for early help.

Why is the role of of the Midwifery and Doulas Practitioner?

Midwives and Doulas play a critical role in early identification and intervention during pregnancy, using the EHA to take a whole-family approach, improve outcomes for both mother and baby, and support healthy pregnancies and births through timely, coordinated support.
Ensuring the right support and visibility of concerns for pregnant women and their families is vital in developing a mature early help system. The early help assessment will enable agencies to ‘join the dots’ better when working to support families.
Maternity services are in a unique position in identifying issues that may impact upon an unborn baby as they begin to emerge.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 states that Early Help is ‘partners working together and taking collective responsibility to provide the right provision.

Health Visitors and School Nurses complete a Health Needs Assessment on every child, and when the level of need moves beyond community/universal or single-service into targeted support, the Health Needs Assessment will be used for the Early Help Assessment.

Health Visitors and School Nurses should consider completing moving to targeted support when:

There are emerging concerns about the whole family’s circumstances, particularly where a child’s health, development, or well-being is influenced by wider family, social or environmental factors.
Early identification of need could prevent escalation, in line with the Healthy Child Programme, which promotes proportionate universalism—providing support to all families, with additional and coordinated support where needs are greater.
Needs are moving beyond community/universal support and into targeted support, and it is clear that concerns are multiple, persistent, or increasing, or a single practitioner is no longer sufficient to meet need, indicating the benefit of a coordinated Early Help response.
There are concerns related to the physical or emotional health and well-being of a child or family, including:
- Obesity, nutrition, or dietary concerns
- Feeding difficulties
- Enuresis or toileting issues
- Poor sleep routines
- Recurrent head lice or hygiene concerns
- Development concerns
There are concerns about parental health and well-being impacting on the child, such as:
- Depression or post-natal depression
- Anxiety or emotional well-being needs
- Substance misuse
- Reduced parental capacity
There are indicators of neglect or unmet need, where outcomes could be improved through early, coordinated support.
There are wider determinants of health impacting on the family, for example:
- Housing instability or poor living conditions
- Financial difficulties or debt
- Social isolation or limited support networks
- Employment and income pressures
- Access to services or community resources

These factors often require involvement from multiple professionals and services:

Needs require involvement from other practitioners or services, where a multi-agency, coordinated plan will better support improved outcomes and prevent escalation to specialist or statutory intervention.
There are ongoing or repeated low-level concerns, suggesting that without a joined-up approach, the situation may worsen over time.
The family actively seek help, particularly where they have a positive and trusted relationship with their Health Visitor or School Nurse, making them a key access point for Early Help support.

Why is this role of a Health visitor/school nurse Practitioner?

Health Visitors and School Nurses play a vital role in prevention and early intervention, using their universal and targeted contacts to identify need early, take a whole-family approach, and coordinate support through the EHA—helping to improve health, well-being, and developmental outcomes for children.
0-19 Health Practitioners are well trained and have expertise and experience in working with children and families.
The assessment is a shared responsibility that will assist in dealing with volume and demand to stop escalation to statutory services.
0-19 Health Practitioners may have an established relationship with the family and/or have information pertaining to the family that will assist with engagement and assessment.
Health visitors / school nurses are in a unique position as they can make contact without creating anxiety for families.

Working Together to Safeguard Children states that all agencies should work together to share responsibility for early help provision in a locality.

When they are undertaking direct work with children and/or families and identify additional or emerging needs, particularly where these go beyond the support the organisation can provide alone.
Where a trusted relationship already exists, it is often more effective for families to be supported by practitioners they already know within their community. In these circumstances, completing an EHA allows support to be coordinated without immediately referring the family on, helping to maintain engagement and trust.
Where early help can be provided within an existing relationship, reducing the need for families to repeat their story and improving the likelihood of positive outcomes through familiar, community-based support.

Why is it the role of a Voluntary Sector worker?

VCS organisations are often best placed to identify need early and respond within trusted relationships, using the EHA to coordinate wider support while keeping the family at the centre of the process.
There is good evidence in Bradford that voluntary sector agencies can be the first to identify need within children and families.
Existing and trusted relationships are in place between the VCS and families

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 states that Early Help is ‘partners working together and taking collective responsibility to provide the right provision.

When they are undertaking direct work with a young person and identify additional or emerging needs, particularly where these extend beyond what can be supported through youth provision alone.
If there is an established, trusted relationship with the young person, recognising that the National Youth Strategy places strong emphasis on access to trusted adults (such as youth workers) as a key protective factor in improving well-being and outcomes.

In these situations, it is often more effective for support to be coordinated through the youth worker, rather than referring on immediately, to maintain engagement.

The young person is more likely to engage with informal or community-based support than statutory services, reflecting the Strategy’s focus on ensuring young people have “someone to trust, somewhere to go, and something to do” through connected local systems.
Early identification could prevent escalation, in line with Working Together, which sets out that all practitioners share responsibility for identifying children and young people who may benefit from early help.
Needs are multiple, increasing, or rooted in wider life circumstances, aligning with the National Youth Strategy’s whole-system approach, recognising that outcomes for young people are shaped by:
- Relationships and support networks
- Access to opportunities
- Social and economic factors
There are concerns about the young person’s wellbeing, safety, or development, including:
- Emotional well-being or mental health needs
- Risk-taking behaviours or vulnerability (e.g. exploitation, substance use)
- Disengagement from education, training, or employment
- Social isolation or lack of belonging
The young person requires support from multiple agencies, reflecting the National Youth Strategy’s shift from fragmented to collaborative working, where services work together, share information, and coordinate support around the young person.
The youth worker is acting as a key link between the young person and other services, as youth work is recognised as a connector across education, health, social care, and community provision.
The young person or family actively seek support, particularly where they feel safe and understood within a youth setting, reinforcing the Strategy’s commitment to young people being seen, heard, and involved in decisions about their lives.

Why is it the role of the youth worker?

The National Youth Strategy places trusted relationships, early intervention, and collaboration at the heart of improving outcomes for young people. Youth workers are central to this vision—often acting as the trusted adult who identifies need early and coordinates support.
The community based early help assessment supports this role by enabling youth workers to translate trusted relationships into coordinated, multi-agency action, ensuring young people receive the right help at the right time without losing the engagement of the adult they trust.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 states that Early Help is ‘partners working together and taking collective responsibility to provide the right provision.

Expectations

An assessment should be completed and emailed to the Early Help Coordinator within 45 days; this allows time for the Lead Practitioner to understand the issues the family is facing and to gather relevant information to inform the assessment and plan.
The assessment should be reviewed regularly (every 6-8 weeks) and updated whenever there is a change in circumstances that affects the child's and family’s needs, or to highlight positive outcomes being achieved. When the assessment and/or plan is updated, the new version should be sent to your Early Help Coordinator.
A Team Around the Family meeting should be held when there are multiple needs, involving appropriate agencies to ensure that progress is discussed between practitioners and with the family.
The assessment should remain open until needs have been met and outcomes have been met for the child and family.
When the Lead Practitioner and family feel that issues have reduced and support is no longer required, a closure document should always be completed with the family as part of the final review of the assessment and sent to your Early Help Coordinator.

How will a Lead Practitioner be supported?

Bradford Children and Families Trust has a team of Early Help Coordinators (EHC), whose role it is to offer practical support and guidance to all Lead Practitioners. The EHC helps in the following ways:

Helping you to identify need, through discussion about the child and family and reflecting on Bradford’s Continuum of Need
Supporting you through the Community Based Early Help Assessment Process.
Suggest other agencies that may be able to offer support in the plan
Support you to coordinate a Team Around The Family (TAF)
To support by attending a TAF meeting if the LP and other agencies feel that the family are ‘stuck’
Brokering and challenging service provision when needed.